To know woodchucks is to adore them, but even if you remain skeptical about having them as neighbors, there are preventive measures and humane solutions to help you live peacefully with these fascinating members of the urban wildlife community.
Peaceful coexistence with woodchucks is entirely possible. If you begin to see mysterious losses in your garden, first try to discern whether this is actually the work of woodchucks. If your plants have been neatly clipped, a woodchuck or rabbit probably has been nibbling at your crops. But if the leaves have a ragged appearance, it is more likely that a deer has browsed your garden.
There are several humane ways to dissuade woodchucks from taking over your garden. As woodchucks are fearful of humans and generally cautious, making more frequent visits to your garden and adding an object that will blow around in the wind—such as a beachball—will usually discourage visits.
Another approach is to lure woodchucks away from your garden by planting a swath of wildflowers and grasses a distance from your house; they will prefer to feed at the safer distance from humans. Even a typical suburban lot can usually accommodate a small patch of meadow. You can also plant some species of flowers that appeal to you, but not to woodchucks. Gardeners report that lobelia, gallardia, daylilies, and columbine do not appeal to the woodchuck's palate.
Finally, you might consider installing a fence around your garden. The fence should be three to four feet above ground and extend one foot below ground for best results. Use wire mesh with openings that are two inches by four inches. Leave the top portion of the wire mesh unattached to fence posts. A woodchuck does not like to climb an unstable fence. Finally, fold the bottom six inches of the underground portion outward to discourage persistent diggers.
If you wish to exclude a woodchuck from a burrow under your house, porch, or outbuilding, wait until late summer, after any young have been weaned. One humane harassment technique is to partially dig out the entrances and clear away surrounding vegetation. Another approach is to place quantities of used kitty litter inside all burrow entrances. A third possibility is to place a one-way door at the main entrance to the burrow; this lets the animal safely leave but not return.
After the animal has left the burrow, pack the entrance lightly with hay. If it remains undisturbed for three to five days, you can assume the burrow is unoccupied. To permanently close the burrow, excavate the area around the entrance and bury a three-foot-square section of heavy-gauge welded wire (three-inch squares) one foot deep across the entrance of the burrow.
